A day after Jim Harbaugh suggested the 49ers defensive tackle would soon be "roping and riding," the defensive tackle dubbed "Cowboy" by his teammates was standing and observing during Wednesday's practice.

Smith and backup linebacker Clark Haggans (shoulder) were the only players to miss practice. Smith sustained an elbow injury in Sunday's 41-34 win over the Patriots and missed the majority of the second half when New England erased a 28-point deficit.

Before practice, Harbaugh struck a less definitive note than he had a day earlier when asked about Smith's availability for Sunday's game at Seattle. Harbaugh said Smith would play if it was "humanly possible." Would it be humanly possible?

"We'll see," Harbaugh said. "We'll see how he feels today and tomorrow."

On Tuesday, Harbaugh strongly suggested during an interview on KNBR that the All-Pro would play against the Seahawks.

If Smith's streak of 185 starts is snapped, four-year veteran Ricky Jean Francois would make his fourth career start. Jean Francois had a key sack, the second of his career, in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win at New England.

Linebacker Patrick Willis alluded to the possibility of playing without Smith.

"He's a big part of our defense," Willis said. "He's a guy that helps our defense run. But we also know that things happen in this game, injuries happen. And it's an opportunity for another guy to step up. I can't say fill his shoes, but step in and contribute in a way that helps our defense. Ricky Jean's that guy for us right now. And I have complete confidence in him."

Sidelined Smith near record:Alex Smith leads the NFL in completion percentage (70.0), but is seven attempts shy of the 224 needed to qualify for the title.

As the New York Times noted, Smith would break the NFL's single-season completion-percentage record (71.2) held by New Orleans' Drew Brees by completing nine of nine passes in the final two regular-season games. It's possible Smith could have a cameo role in the regular-season finale against Arizona, which has lost nine of its past 10 games.

Smith also ranks third in passer rating (104.1) and is less than a point removed from Green Bay's top-ranked Aaron Rodgers (104.7). Smith would also need seven more attempts to qualify for the passer-rating crown.